Background:
The Philippines Campaign (Filipino:Labanan sa Pilipinas) or the Battle of the Philippines, fought 8 December 1941 through 8 May 1942, was the invasion of the Philippines by Japan and the defense of the islands by Filipino and United States forces.
The Japanese launched the invasion by sea from Formosa over 200 miles to the north of the Philippines. The defending forces outnumbered the Japanese invaders by 3 to 2, however were a mixed force of non-combat experienced regular, national guard, constabulary and newly created Commonwealth units. The Japanese used first-line troops at the outset of the campaign concentrating forces in the first month enabling a swift overrun of most of Luzon.
On 24 December, MacArthur invoked the pre-war war plan WPO-3 (War Plan Orange 3), which called for use of five delaying positions in central Luzon while forces withdrew into Bataan. The Japanese realized the full extent of MacArthur’s plan on 30 December and ordered the 48th Division to press forward and seal off Bataan. In a series of actions between 2 and 4 January, the 11th and 21st Divisions of the Philippine Army, the 26th Cavalry (PS) and the American M2A4 tanks of the Provisional Tank Group held open the road from San Fernando to Dinalupihan at the neck of the peninsula for the retreating forces of the South Luzon Force, then made good their own escape. Despite 50% losses in the 194th Tank Battalion during the retreat, the tanks and a supporting battery of 75mm SPM halftracks repeatedly stopped Japanese thrusts and were the final units to enter Bataan.
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Campaign_(1941%E2%80%9342)) and (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/192nd_Tank_Battalion)
The Game:
Situation: The Japanese had pushed the Allies back to the D-5 defensive line flanked by Mount Arayat by New Year’s Eve with a major battle being fought on 1 January, 1942 as the Japanese armor attempted to flank the US-Filippino lines.
Japanese Objectives: Destroy the US armor and capture at least one of the two bridges over the river.
American Objective: Prevent the Japanese from achieving their objectives.
Terrain: The board consisted of mostly flat grass land with patches of thin jungle. The river near the southern edge was considered to be impassible for vehicles. There was one major paved road ran from the southern edge of the table into the town over a mined bridge. A rail line curves from the right side of the table over the river on a heavy also mined bridge.
Scenario Special Rules:
Play was cross the table.
- All forces were built from the Banzai Book and North Africa Book.
- All American units began on the table.
- Half of the Japanese units moved on the table on Turn One, the remainder as immediate reserves.
- We treated the M2A4 as M3 Stuarts with front armor 2 and flank armor 1.
- All Jungles counted as woods (difficult area terrain).
- There was no air power.
- The Japanese, of course, received the first move.
Forces:
The Americans consisted of a M2A4 Tank Company (13 tanks in four platoons) on the right flank; a ten tank M2A4 Company with two platoons of infantry company attached in the center and a ten tank M2A4 Tank Company with engineers and a HMG platoon in and around the town guarding the bridges. All the Americans were rated as Confident Trained.
The Japanese consisted of a Type 97 Chi-Ha Medium Tank Company (ten tanks) with infantry and 150mm artillery battery on the right flank. On the left flank the Japanese deployed a Type 95 Ha-Go Light Tank Company (20 light tanks) with 150mm Artillery battery and recon tank section in support. All the Japanese were rated as Fearless Veteran.
Narrative:
During the first turn the Japanese entered the board employing a Napoleonic Central Position strategy by moving quickly to engage and destroy the center US Tank force and cut off the other tank company on the left. This would allow a pursuit of the remaining US forces over the river.
Over the next two turns, the Japanese managed to close with and shoot up the ten M2A4s holding the center. The cut off M2A4s sortied out to try to flank the Japanese and overpower their light tanks. The river defense company engaged in a long range duel with the Chi Ha Company. The exchange resulted in some knocked out the American Tanks and a destroyed the Japanese AT guns platoon.
On Turns Four and Five, the center American Force almost ceased to exist except for the Infantry double timing towards the river with Japanese on their tail. The US M2A4 started their break out by moving two tank platoons through the thin jungle to engage the Ha Go Company in the rear. Unfortunately, this only resulted in bailing and getting the attention of the rest. The Ha Gos turned in mass and engaged the US armour, shooting them up for their trouble.
On Turns Six and Seven, The US tanks tried to swing around the Ha Gos and take our their artillery. However, they we completely destroyed by the withering fire of the fast moving Japanese tanks. The survivors of the US center company and the biedge defense company fell back over the river with the Japanese in hot pursuit. On the last turn, the Engineers lit the charges on the bridges, sending the road bridge into nothing but flying timber. Unfortunately, the explosives completely failed to go off on the railroad bridge! All those sacrifices on the battlefield for want of a decent fuse!
With the Japanese still mostly in tact and the US down to a third of its starting force, there was not enough to hold back Japanese crossing the river. Japanese victory.
– Manteuffel